Mini Says Countryman Is as Big of a Car as It Will Make

At 4 inches longer and 2 inches wider than the current Mini Clubman, the all-new Mini Clubman concept that just debuted at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show is quite a bit bigger than the car it will eventually replace. In fact, for the first time ever, it features four front-hinged doors instead of the one rear-hinged door that the current model has.

It's so big, that it's not really all that mini of a Mini anymore. But fret not, those of you out there who worry that BMW is diluting the Mini brand. According to head designer Anders Warming, speaking with the U.K.'s Auto Express, the next Countryman will be about as big as a Mini will get in the next-generation vehicles, which should be similar in size to the new Clubman.Previously, reports circulated that Mini was even considering a seven-passenger model. BMW, after all, will be making a seven-seater version of its 2 Series Active Tourer eventually, which is based on the same "UKL" architecture. But Mini is staying kaputt. Warming says that the next models, which will include the Clubman, Countryman, and other offshoots of the brand, will grow unique identities to further set them apart from one another.As you can see from the Clubman concept, that will include unique tail lights and details throughout. Power is expected to come from the same turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder and 2.0-liter four-cylinder as the 2014 Mini Cooper models that we recently drove in Puerto Rico. It is expected that plug-in and diesel models may eventually fill out the U.S. lineup.Nevertheless, Mini looks intent at going after shoppers who are in the market for upper-level Volkswagen Golf models. The next Clubman will be much larger and up to the task of doing it. But at that point, why not just start looking at entry-level BMWs?Source: Auto Express

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